Chemicals in water from Wright-Patt causing concern in Dayton

Chemicals in water from Wright-Patt causing concern in Dayton (WKEF/WRGT)

DAYTON, Ohio (WKEF/WRGT) - Residents and officials expressed major concerns over contaminated water sources in the Miami Valley Thursday.

City of Dayton leaders said while your drinking water is safe now, chemicals from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base are contaminating the water source near Huffman Dam.

Dayton leaders insists there's nothing wrong with drinking water and they want to keep it that way. Those leaders said chemical contaminants from Wright-Patt are heading toward Dayton's Huffman Dam wells.

Chemicals known as PFAS (per-and polyfluoroalkyl) are the problem, which are found in foam firefighters use at military bases.

"What we would like to do is to work with the base to make sure those contaminants don't travel from the base toward our well field," Director of Water for Dayton Michael Powell said.

The city said it sent a terse letter to the base commander.

"It's absolutely a proactive and preventive measure," Dayton City Manager Shelley Dickstein said. "We want to be aggressively protecting our well field and the source of water for 2.1 million people."

She hoped the letter reached the U.S. Defense Department

"That's the sole outcome of this letter that we are looking for is that the folks that Wright-Patt reports to understands the seriousness of our situation," Dickstein said.

The Environmental Protection Agency limits PFAS to 70 parts per trillion. Dayton's samples showed the PFAS level at less than 10 In what's called "raw water".

The city said PFAS han't been found in the drinking water .

"All of the drinking water they use is absolutely safe has always been safe and there's no threat," said Dickstein.

Letters went out to tens of thousands water customers explaining the situation.

Wright-Patt issed a statement saying the Air Force is making sure no one is drinking water that exceeds the EPA requirements.

It's monitoring their wells and has found one well that exceeds 70 ppt and it doesn't pose a risk to the drinking water

The base has wells on its property and the Ohio EPA said it's raised concerns about the water supply in areas A and B.

The OHIO EPA sent Wright-Patt six requirements.

The base has 30 days to complete a work plan.

Dayton leaders, the base and the Ohio EPA are scheduled to meet later this month.